America is one of the world's fattest nations. No wonder weight loss is a billion dollar industry. For people who can't afford lap band surgery, tummy tucks, and other expensive cosmetic procedures, many turn to less expensive solutions such as herbal diet pills. Herbal diet pills have been getting a bad rap ever since Ephedra came on the scene and destroyed the lives of those hoping to lose a few pounds. But there are herbal pills that are safe. You just need to read the labels and understand what each ingredient does to determine if it's healthy.

For starters, you need several factors going on simultaneously if you hope to lose weight. You need a fat burner, a carb absorber, something that revs up your metabolism, and an energy enhancer.

It Starts With a Well Balanced Diet

Okay, I know you would rather hear that you can eat whatever you want and still have thin thighs or lean muscles. But the truth of the matter is, no matter how many herbal diet pills you take, if you don't monitor your food intake, in particular, your carb and fat intake, your consumption of herbal diet pills will be for naught. How do you decide which herbal diet pills are best to take?

Key Ingredients

I tend to look for ingredients like green tea extract, Glucomannan and Cha de Burge. You're probably wondering what the heck these ingredients are and why I chose them - right? Let me explain.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea is the favorite drink of Asians. Why? It's known for its heart health properties as well as the reduction in high blood pressure. More impressively, it speeds up your metabolism and burns more fats that carbohydrates. When your metabolism speeds up, that means you lose weight quickly.

Glucomannan

Okay, I'm sure you've never heard of this natural herbal supplement. Glucomannan is a natural appetite suppressant. It also slows down the absorption of carbs. Glucomannan comes from the Konjac plant, which makes it a 100% dietary fiber source. As you know, the more fiber you eat, the fuller you are and the less you want to eat.

Cha de Burge

Okay, this sounds like some French fancy ingredient. It's actually a metabolism booster and helps reduce hunger pangs. It's derived from leaves from a plant that grows in the tropical rain forests of Brazil. It has diuretic properties and is also an appetite suppressant. It also reduces cellulite and fatty deposits. It works like Ephedra, but doesn't have any of the harmful side effects. So if you're looking for herbal diet pills, make sure they have natural ingredients that don't produce harmful side effects.